BHS Class of 1975 Marks Its 50th
Members of the Barnesville High School graduating class of 1975 marked their 50th class reunion July 12-13 with many members returning home to share memories of school days and their lives since.
Many class members were present as their classmate, Sam Reynolds, was inducted into the Barnesville Area Education Foundation. He is the first from the class of 1975 to be inducted.
Reynolds, a plastics industry executive of Knoxville, Tennessee, shared memories of growing up on Bethesda Street, his time at school, his time at Marietta College, and his outstanding professional career that followed.
Reynolds’ nomination to the Hall of Fame may be read here.
Class Reunion Address
Class President Dr. Sam Hunkler, a Maine physician, provided a touching tribute to his fellow classmates profiling the many professions and good works they have engaged in and during the half century since they received their diplomas. Hunkler’s comments follow:
Little did I know when we had those senior class elections 50 years ago that I might be called upon to do something like this. However, I must say, that it is a truly an honor and privilege to speak tonight for the Barnesville High School class of 1975.
We were the first class to occupy the old high school downtown as junior high students, and the second class to complete all four years in this building.
Interestingly, 14 of us married each other. But what is even more remarkable is that not one of those couples have ever divorced, though, unfortunately, the partner of 2 of these couples have passed on.
Thirty years ago, at our 20th class reunion, we established our ‘class of 75 charitable fund’ as a means to give a bit back to the hometown community which helped raise us. Last night at our reunion we added considerably to that fund.
Quite often when I drive by the school here, I clearly remember one of the last memories of my high school days, that morning after our Senior Night when all kinds of signs and other debris littered the grass and walkway, the grocery cart from IGA across the street was hoisted up to the top of the flag pole, and we, the majority of our class it seemed, were milling about as teachers and underclass students arrived, we having been up all night.
Our principal, Mr Bonvenuto, and our teachers were not impressed to say the least. I believe that that was the last school-sanctioned Senior Night. And I also believe that we were the last class to go to NYC for our senior class trip; our chaperones were not too pleased with us about that escapade either.
So yes, there was a significant number of us that were downright ornery. Some called us juvenile delinquents. Yet, despite our reputation, we ain’t done too bad. And this evening I’d like to review some of what our class has accomplished over the past 50 years.
We’ve lost track of some of our classmates, so what follows is a partial recount of our exploits and undertakings since leaving high school.
What we do know is that among us there are:
Five professional musicians and 5 professional artists
There are bankers and bikers; brokers, business owners and beauticians
We have served our youth and schools as superintendents, principals, high school teachers, elementary school teachers, teacher’s aides, coaches and referees
Among us are farmers, foresters and firefighters
We have run for political office on city, township and state levels
We have cared for our community members as nurses, nursing aides and nursing home directors and workers
We are pastors, pilots and postal workers; master mechanics and entrepreneurs
Among us are a corporate CEO, corporate supervisors, corporate secretaries, professional secretaries and office managers
There are three doctors among us: a doctor of music, a doctor of medicine and a doctor of law
We include the local owner of a local multi-million dollar enterprise
We have been active in many community civic and non-profits organizations where we have served as officers, and we have won awards for our civic volunteering
Among us are coal miners and cannabis cultivators… welders, civil engineers and truckers
We have served the town Barnesville on the village counsel and in the street dept. We have served Warren Township as a trustee.
We have served Belmont county in the auditors office and in environmental services.
We have served the state of Ohio in the dept of natural resources
and we have served our country in the US Navy, the National Guard, the US Peace Corps, and the National Health Service Corps.
And last but not least, there are two among us who will soon be inducted into local halls of fame, one tonight and one later this summer into the OVAC sports hall of fame.
Now, these two happen to be high ranking in that list of ornery characters that I spoke of earlier. And oh, the stories we could tell you about each one of them.
But we’ll leave those stories for another time. And yet, what these two accomplished was extraordinary and clearly worthy of the honor to be bestowed upon them.
So you see class, for a bunch of ruffians we ain’t done too bad, and so it is fitting that we be honored tonight for our contributions to society and our positive reflection on Barnesville High School.
And it is also fitting that we be present tonight to help usher in the first member of our class to be inducted into the Barnesville High School alumni hall of fame. In closing, I believe that all of my classmates here tonight share my sentiment when I say I feel very fortunate to be and to have been a member of the Barnesville High Class of 1975. Here’s to us.
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